1000 Words
by hermit hideaway
Summary: "What If" - Elena dies with her parents and the Originals never come to Mystic Falls. Pure Klaroline fluff with a first meeting in New Orleans between the two.


**1,000 Words**

 **A/N** : I don't own the Vampire Diaries or The Originals and this work is intended only as a piece of fiction and not for profit. It may not be redistributed without myself, the author's, knowledge.

This story is a pure Klaroline one-shot written in a fit of pique over an hour or so. It takes place in an alternate reality where Elena died and that's it. No Elena means no triangle between Damon and Stefan with her, no Originals coming to Mystic Falls for the doppelgänger, but yet Katherine is still there somewhere. It has been briefly checked over by myself for errors, but has not been beta read.

Rated T for teen due to language and some lightly implied sexual references.

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Caroline sighed as she leaned back on the stool. Sure, it seemed like a good idea at the time, but she was finding traveling alone around the world was just that. Lonely.

After Elena died their freshman year of High School when her parents drove off the Wickery Bridge, she and Bonnie had drifted apart for a while. Then the whole vampires are real thing happened, and Tyler turned into a werewolf, and Bonnie was suddenly a witch. Needless to say, Bonnie and her became somewhat turbulent friends after Caroline was turned into a vampire by Stefan after Damon tried to kill her. Asshole. Luckily, Damon calmed down when he found out what a bitch that doppelgänger Katherine was. Stefan and her became besties, and Bonnie and her went on to College at Whitmore together. They were suppose to do the whole travel the world together, but Bonnie's Dad came back to Mystic Falls and like, forced her to stay behind.

So now here she sat on a stool, in the heart of New Orleans, and she was painting her heart out. She nodded her head to herself and picked up her paintbrush to give it another go. Painting in New Orleans where so many other famous artists had sat and done the same thing was on the list. It was a very long list and Caroline was finding it a bit hard to cross some things off when she found she had very little talent for them, but she was determined to finish it. Right now, she had what could maybe, possibly, count for a modern interpretation of the street around her if she squinted her eyes just right.

She leaned back again and tilted her head so far to the right, she lost her balance and started to fall.

"All right there, love?" An accented voice spoke into her ear.

Her eyes had shut upon her descent and she was startled when a strong arm grasped her firmly across her back, her back bending in a dip. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked up into a sea of blue green staring down at her. The eyes were attached to an even more handsome face with a mouth smirking down at her.

She quickly started to push away at the mans shoulder that she hadn't even remembered grabbing, and wobbled even further on the stool. The man must have taken pity on her because after one more twitch of his lips he firmly grasped her and pushed her upright.

His hands remained steady on her shoulders and Caroline tensed all over when he squeezed them with a quiet strength.

"Again, I ask, all right love?" He was smirking down at her in amusement and Caroline felt herself tense even further as her shrug refused to dislodge his hands from her body. Considering she had used almost her full strength in the motion, she couldn't help wondering if maybe she should have taken up Stefan's offer to come with after all. This was the first time she had run into another supernatural being in the three weeks she had been traveling so far, at least that she was aware of.

"Fine. Thanks, and let go." She spoke through gritted teeth.

"Is that any way to act to the man who saved you from such a humiliating fall?"

She turned her head around and up to face him quickly, and pasted on her pageant winning Miss Mystic Falls smile and replied, "Of course, how rude of me. Thank you, for saving me from what could have been a most humiliating fall."

Her words copied his almost verbatim and she finished it with, "Now, if you don't mind, I really need get back to my painting."

She turned back around and went to pick up her paintbrush that had fallen from her fingertips. The hands on her shoulders tightened though and she didn't even make it an inch before she was pulled back against his body. Her back to his lower chest. She drew in her breath harshly at the jarring movement.

"Seriously?! What is your problem? I said thank you, and now you should go. Like now. Goodbye." She yelled at him, her temper over taking her.

"Come now, love. Is that any way to treat someone when visiting their city? Especially when that little vampire has seemingly forgotten that she needs the approval of her King." He emphasized. He quickly spun her around on the stool, with reflexes that were definitely vampire fast. "So again, I ask you, all right love? For I can't think of a single reason that you wouldn't have introduced yourself otherwise. Yet here I find you, in the middle of my city, trying to paint something I think, and yet no hello."

Caroline's mind spun. King? Of what? Vampires? If such a thing even existed, then Stefan and Damon were seriously going to get their asses kicked the next time she saw them for saying nothing about it.

"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about, but you're obviously some type of supernatural something and I've clearly pissed you off, but I honestly don't know. So, who are you?"

Niklaus stared down at her and tried to judge the girls sincerity. To be perfectly honest, when he approached the girl he hadn't even realized she was a vampire until he focused on her and heard her lack of heartbeat. He had been more entranced by the vision she presented in the setting sun where her hair shone with light like a beacon dragging him in. To see that she was painting had drawn him even further until he saw her about to topple and used his speed to be the one to catch her. Her eyes had gazed up into his and only when he felt his heart skip a metaphorical beat, had he noticed the lack of hers. Then she had tried to pull away and his hands had clasped around her shoulders as if to keep her to him.

With his mind spinning, it had taken him a moment to realize that not only was she painting one of the worst paintings he had ever seen, but she had tensed even further and his suspicions rose.

"My name, is Niklaus Mikaelson, but you may call me my Lord." Nobody called him that, but the idea of her doing so sent him blood rushing pleasurably through his veins. "I am the Original, along with my family, and you are in our city."

"Seriously?" She couldn't help it and said, "I'd have to be dead before calling you that. Like, dead dead."

The lack of respect and the incredulity in her tone made Klaus simmer in rage, and he reacted without thinking. His pupils expanded and his voice modulated as he compelled her to speak, "What is your name and where do you come from?"

She responded robotically, " My name is Caroline Forbes and I am from Mystic Falls, Virginia."

He smirked, "Hello, Miss. Forbes. What are you doing in my city?"

"I'm here on vacation."

He though for a second before continuing, "and what made you choose New Orleans to visit?"

"I've never been outside of Mystic Falls before and I want to see the world. I just finished college and I wanted to take a year off to go and see and learn everything there is to about the world. New Orleans was one of those places I always wanted to visit."

The honesty in her answer and the curiosity hidden beneath the compulsion caused Klaus to stare at her in wonder. It was rare to see someone so young interested in the history that surrounded them. He found his guard dropping again at the lack of any hidden agenda and his compulsion on Caroline fell apart.

She blinked a few times before her mind started to clear. There was fear, yes, she hadn't been under compulsion since she was a human and the fact that this man in front of her was able to do that to another vampire was scary. Then there was the other side of the coin where all she felt was rage and boy was it building fast.

"What is your problem!" She screamed at him, her arms flying out and shoving him away. He budged maybe two feet at most and she used that space to get to her feet.

"Something wrong?"

Ugh, he was smirking at her again and all she wanted to do was wipe that smug look off his face.

"My problem is, hello, the fact that you just took away my free will?! What the hell is an Original anyway, and what do you mean, trying to paint something?" She had finally remembered that part of the conversation from earlier and it had her seething in rage.

She turned and threw out an arm again, gesturing toward her canvas, "It's clearly a painting of the street."

He laughed out loud and watched her nose scrunch up and her cheeks infuse with red. She was beautiful when enraged and Klaus couldn't help but ratchet her further along.

"Love, there is nothing about that canvas that looks right. I'm afraid a painter you are most definitely not. As far as an Original, its exactly as it sounds, the first vampire. You, and every other vampire on this Earth was created from either myself or one of my brothers or sister."

"Really?"

"Really."

She stared at him in curiosity. So, he was the reason she was still alive. Of course, she guessed he was technically the reason she was dead too, because even if Stefan being a vampire saved her, she wouldn't have died if Damon hadn't been a vampire to be alive to kill her. She couldn't help but wonder how he became a vampire if he was the first, or if maybe he was just always that way? Like human evolution or something? There was also the fact that he was gorgeous and not all Neanderthal like so she had to wonder how old he really was. Probably a bazillion with that attitude. King, she scoffed internally.

"Well, I suppose in a round about way I have you to thank for me being my awesome self. I was a bit of an airhead when I was human and turning into a vampire was probably the best thing that ever happened to me, so thanks. For, you know, being super old and weird originally or whatever."

Klaus' eyes bulged almost comically at her rant, but still managed to hear the compliment under the several insults she spewed.

"I'm only a thousand, Caroline. Not super old or weird originally. I was born human like you, but was changed by my mother who was a witch. I suppose you could thank her if she wasn't dead and a total bitch."

"Wow. Okay then, it's been lovely talking to you Niklaus, and since you now know I'm only here to visit and not whatever had you freaking out before, I think I'll be on my way now. Obviously my completely awesome painting and I are finished since the sun has basically vanished during this bizarre conversation."

Klaus reached out lightning quick and grasped her wrist on her left hand.

"Not so fast, love. Why don't you join me for dinner tonight? We can discuss why you thought painting was ever a good idea in the first place and perhaps I can even give you some tips for improvement."

He gave her his best smile and the dimples that winked at her had her knees turning ever so slightly to jelly. She should say no. Not only was he super old and obviously powerful, he was also kind of a jerk. His eyes continued to twinkle at her as the street lights came on and she somehow found herself drawn in. It had to be attraction. He was ridiculously hot and it had been a while since that jerk Tyler left her for some wolf slut he met in the mountains.

She found herself balancing on a precipice where either decision felt life changing.

"Please, love? Just dinner. I promise."

He wanted her, had wanted her since that first moment and now that he knew more about her he wouldn't let her go. Not without tasting her first.

Her head nodded and it almost felt like she had been hypnotized by that stupidly beautiful London accent.

"Just dinner," she said. "Then I'm gone. Deal?"

"Deal." He replied, and slid his palm down from where it clasped her wrist in a sensuously slow motion, before sliding his fingers between hers until they tangled and intertwined.

"Now then, I know this fabulous restaurant that serves authentic food that probably isn't on your tourist destination list. I just know you'll love it." He rambled on.

He tugged her down the street and she glanced back briefly at her unfinished canvas still sitting on its stand with her stool tipped over. Then she turned back around and sped up slightly so he wasn't dragging her along. He was talking about the buildings around her and the streets that he helped build and create, painting a picture with words in her mind. He may be a jerk like Damon and even Tyler were, but she thought that perhaps, he was possibly the best jerk she had ever accidentally fallen for, or into in this case. Also that perhaps, maybe, there would be more than just dinner and she might just find a reason to stick around.

After all, she had all the time in the world now.

Fin.

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A/N : That's it folks. Obviously this could be continued with the way Klaus' moods tend to swing, but I think you get the gist. This took several liberties as far as both shows storylines go, but I hope you can see what I mean by "What If". Thanks for reading and to anyone who takes the time to leave a review.


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